" "How can
that be?" exclaimed the king. "But yesterday," replied the
courtier, "thou didst put such and such a one to death, and lo,
there were converted double that number; and the people say that a
man appeared to the confessors from heaven strengthening them in
their last moments." Whereupon the king himself was converted. In
those days men thought not their lives dear unto them. Some were
transfixed while yet alive; others had their limbs cut off one
after another; some were cast to the wild beasts and others burned
in the fire. Such continued long to be the fate of the Christian
confessors. No parallel is found thereto in any other religion; and
all was endured with constancy and even with joy. One smiled in the
midst of his great suffering. "Was it cold water," they asked,
"that was brought unto thee?" "No," answered the sufferer, "it was
one like a youth that stood by me and anointed my wounds; and that
made me smile, for the pain forthwith departed."
Now tell me seriously, my friend, which of the two hath the best
claim to be called a _martyr_, "slain in the ways of the Lord:" he
who surrendereth his life rather than renounce his faith; who, when
it is said, Fall down and worship the sun and moon, or the idols of
silver and gold, work of men's hands, instead of the true God,
refuseth, choosing rather to give up life, abandon wealth, and
forego even wife and family; or he that goeth forth, ravaging and
laying waste, plundering and spoiling, slaying the men, carrying
away their children into captivity, and ravishing their wives and
maidens in his unlawful embrace, and then shall call it "Jehad in
the ways of the Lord!" .
Pages:
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110